


Persona 5 Royal: The Miracle Hand

by Eklypse22



Series: The Miracle Hand Series [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Door-kun is back!, F/M, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, crossposted on ffn, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:55:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29997615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eklypse22/pseuds/Eklypse22
Summary: Amamiya Ren is a victim of a corrupt system. Wrongly convicted of a crime he didn't commit and abandoned by everyone, even his parents, he was shipped of to Tokyo for probation. Little does he know that he is part of a game with the odds rigged against him. However, Yuki Kuroku, member of the now-dissolved SEES has infiltrated the game. His impact on the outcome is yet unknown. (Rated M for Kamoshida)
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist/Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi
Series: The Miracle Hand Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2206629
Kudos: 6





	Persona 5 Royal: The Miracle Hand

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ladies and gents, men and women, people of all ages! Eklypse22 here with another fic, and I’ve decided to stray from my other fandom into this one (other fics on FFN, not proud of them, rewrites pending). Persona is my favorite game series, and I hope I do it justice in this story (probably won’t). But if you, dear reader, see anywhere I can improve in my writing, don’t be afraid to criticize. Ideas are always welcome, and since this isn’t flushed out fully, your input might be featured.
> 
> ‘-Take Your Time-’ - Transitions  
> ‘-O-’ - Perspective Switch
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Persona 5 Royal.

**-IT’S SHOWTIME-**

_ March 5, 2016 _

A young man is walking through the streets of Yongen Jaya, the early spring chill biting at him through his brown coat and black gloves. His brown hair moves in the wind, getting in the way of his red-brown eyes. He brushes his locks to the side, a motion he’s done many times.

“Another day, another day…” He sighs, arriving at his destination. Before him stands a modest house. Taking a deep breath, he walks up and puts his key in the lock. Opening the door, he is met with darkness.

“I’m back.” He calls, but receives silence. Walking to the light switch, he searches the first room, lit only by the evening sun. It’s quiet. “Hello? Are you home?”

Again, he is met with silence. _Where is he?_ The man wonders. He flicks the lights on, and moves on to the stairs. _He should be back by now…_. As he reaches the second floor, he spies a flickering light pouring from under the last door on the right. A room he’s never entered in the three years he’s lived here. Walking closer, he hears a song playing softly through that door.

_ “That blindingly brilliant moment when we were all together _

_ Those precious times I didn't realize I should cherish _

_ Now all I can do is remember, I will embrace the feeling” _

He puts his hand on the doorknob, and hesitates.  _ Crying _ . The young man takes a step back, weighing his options.

_ “I know for a fact, you were there by my side _

_ You were always always always there, smiling _

_ If ever I lose you, I will find you, I will never leave you” _

_ Fuck it. _ He opens the door quietly, and takes in the contents of the room. A window on the wall opposite the door, curtains pulled closed. The right wall is empty, save for a big, wooden chest with a huge, sturdy-looking lock. Opening the door further, he finds the focal point.

_ A shrine? _ He mouths. On the left wall is a shrine. Candles lit, pictures hung. In every frame is a young man, likely a teenager. His eyes are a sharp blue-grey, and his navy blue hair covers half of his face. In almost every picture, the boy isn’t smiling. All except for the center frame. A small one, but a smile nonetheless.

_ “You defended this fragile and fleeting world with your hands _

_ So please, fold your wings and rest _

_ Sheltered by an eternal peace, love through all eternity” _

Kneeling in front of the altar is another teenager. With his back turned, the young man at the door cannot read his expression. But he can tell that the younger teen is grieving, if the scene has anything to say about it. The young man closes the door behind him silently, and walks over to the boy, who hasn’t noticed his presence. With a closer look, he can read the name engraved on the wood of the shrine.  _ Arisato Minato? _

_ “Rest now in my arms, as I watch over you _

_ As I recall your joy, your sorrow, and your rage _

_ I will remember you always, until my life is exhausted” _

As he gets closer, he can see that the teen is holding something in his hands, and all of his attention is focused on that object. Tilting his head, the young man sees what it is, and a bolt of dread shoots through him.

“Kuroku!” He shouts, pulling the item out of the boy’s, Kuroku’s, grasp. The teen turns back, startled, and the man finally gets a look at his face. Deep blue eyes, stained with tears and filled with grief, look up at him. His brown hair, matching the shade of the young man’s, is parted to the left. His pale skin seems to glow in the candlelight.

The man looks at the item he took from Kuroku.  _ A gun! _ Red meets blue, one set chilled with fear, the other burning in dread. “Wh-”

“It’s not what you think…” Kuroku cuts off the young man’s question.

The young man examines the gun. A small, sleek pistol. Fully metal, but surprisingly light. There is an engravement on the side.  _ S.E.E.S. _ , it reads.

“Oh really?” He returns his gaze to the teen, who is still on the ground, tears fading away. “So you’re gonna tell me that this isn’t a motherfucking  _ gun? _ ”

The teen drops his gaze, mumbling something inaudible.

“What was that?”

“It’s not real…” Kuroku answers, his eyes still trained on the floor. Sensing the young man’s doubt, he continues. “Goro, it’s just a model.”

“Hmph.” Goro scoffs. “Could’ve fooled me.” He shakes his head, and tosses the gun back to Kuroku. The teen scrambles to catch it, and when he does, pulls it close to his chest.

Goro sighs. “You scared me there.” He hears a faint ‘Sorry’ from the boy. “Now, if you don’t mind me asking, who’s this for?” He motions to the shrine.

Kuroku stays silent, turning his head and looking at a particular photo with sorrow. Goro follows his gaze. “May I?” Getting a nod, he picks it up and studies it. There are ten people in the photo, all smiling. They look like they’re wearing school uniforms.

There is a young woman with long red hair and red eyes, a young man with silver hair and a bandage on his head, a teenage girl wearing pink, a green-haired girl with green eyes, a teenage boy with a goatee and hat, a tall young man wearing a red coat and a black beanie, a blonde girl with blue eyes, a young boy wearing an orange sweatshirt, a little dog with grey fur, a girl with brown-red hair tied in a ponytail, styled with ‘XXII’ barrettes, that blue-haired teen, and….

“Is that you?” Goro points at a young boy, around the age of 10, wearing a blue sweatshirt, smiling like he’s on top of the world.

He receives another nod from Kuroku. “And I’m guessing that he is…” Goro points at the blue-haired teen, then motions to the shrine.

“…Mhm…” Kuroku answers the unfinished question. Looking up at Goro, he anticipates the next inquiry. “It’s been six years…” He can’t even finish the sentence before choking up in tears.

Goro swiftly puts the photo back where he picked it up and kneels down, putting his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “It’s okay. You can let it all out. I’m here.” Kuroku curls up in a ball, clutching at Goro’s jacket and staining it with fresh tears.

The sun sets, and after a while, the soft cries of grief quiet, and Goro looks down at his younger friend. Kuroku fell asleep, the exhaustion catching up to him. Goro sighs, and stands with the teen in his arms, his strength from the Metaverse bleeding into reality. He walks to the door, and with expert footwork and unconventional usage of limbs, reaches Kuroku’s room. He gently lays the teen down on the bed, and removes the gun from his grip.

He studies it again, and this time he feels a strange pull from the model. Turning it over in his hands, he finds the loading chamber, and opens it. Inside is a glowing blue plume, and it exudes a certain aura that Goro can’t quite place. He closes the slide, and lays the pistol on the nightstand. Turning the light off, he leaves the room, and retires to his own bed.

-Take Your Time-

_ April 9, 2016 _

Amamiya Ren opens his eyes, shaking his dream out of his head. He can still hear that drunk man’s words.  _ “Damn brat! I’ll sue!” _ He groans, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of his splitting headache. Doesn’t help that these obnoxious girls are loudly talking about some ‘mental shutdowns’ and whatnot.

“Shibuya. This is Shibuya. The doors to your left are now open.”

Ren lets out a deep sigh, stands up, shoulders his bag, and leaves the train.

When Ren pulls his head from his phone, he finds himself in Shibuya Crossing. There are  _ so many _ people. Coming from small-town Inaba, the most exciting thing in his memory was the string of murders from 2011, but even that was solved within a year and forgotten.

_ Ring _

Ren looks down at his phone, and in the middle of his map is a weird-looking app thingy. It’s red and black and creepy as all hell. In moments, it takes over the whole screen. Tapping it does nothing.

“Stupid malware.” Ren mutters, but he doesn’t have time to dwell on his frustration as the world around him stops. Everything freezes, all sounds cease. Turning in a circle, everywhere he looks, it’s all the same.

His gaze falls upon a giant tower of blue flame. It pulses and glows, and morphs into the shape of…  _ something _ humanoid. It erupts, and the flames grow wings. In its core he sees himself, with glowing gold eyes and an evil grin.

And when he blinks, it’s gone and the world moves on. Ren stares, dumbfounded. “What the fuck?” When he looks back to his phone, he makes a wise decision and deletes the crazy eyeball app.

-Take Your Time-

“Yongen Jaya. This is Yongen Jaya.”

Ren leaves the train, determined to put…  _ whatever _ that was behind him. As he climbs the stairs, he enters the alleys of Yongen Jaya. Apparently he looks completely lost (which he is), as a police officer approaches him.

“You lost, kid?” The officer asked, seemingly bored.

“Uhh… just looking for directions.” He answers dumbly.

The cop crosses his arms. “Directions? Where to?”

“The Sakura residence.” Ren shows the officer the address of the place he’s been given.

“Oh, it’s a bit further back. Take a right after the apartment with the stairs.”

Ren gives a small bow. “Thank you, sir.” Walking away, he lets out a breath it didn’t know he had been holding.

It didn’t take that long of a walk to reach his desired destination. As he walked up to the front gate, he noticed that the lights were off, and it was eerily silent. Ren debated ringing the doorbell, but before he could, he heard a voice sound out from behind.

“Looks like no one’s home…” Ren turned his head, and came face-to-face with a deliveryman. “Hey there, are you looking for Sakura-san?”

Ren nodded. “Do you know where he might be?”

The man nodded back. “He runs this café in the back alley, Leblanc is its name.” Ren gave the man a thank you wave as he turned to find this café.

Before he could make it far, the deliveryman called out, “Hey, I got a package to deliver to Sakura-san. I got more deliveries to make today, do you think you could hand this to him when you find him?”

Ren thought about it for a moment. “Sure.”

“Thanks.” The deliveryman said with a slight bow, then handed Ren the package. “Well, I gotta get back to work. Have a good day.”

Ren waved goodbye. “You too.” As the truck drove away, he looked down at the box in his hands. With a shrug, he turned on his heel and made his way to the back alley.

-Take Your Time-

“Hey, kid.” A gruff voice called. “When you finish up those dishes, check on the curry. Don’t want it to burn, do we?”

Kuroku nodded. “Will do, Boss.” He got a grunt of approval from ‘Boss’, the manager of this fine café, Leblanc.

As he put the final mug on the rack to dry and turned to the huge pot of curry, the door bells rang. Kuroku ignored it, keeping his attention on the pot in front of him.

“How’s the curry looking?” Came Boss’ voice. Kuroku gave it a quick stir, and took a taste-test.

“Hmm… needs salt.” Kuroku supplied, and stirred in a pinch of the white crystalline seasoning. After another test, he smiled. “All good now.”

Boss sighed. “…Oh, right.” Kuroku’s eyebrow rose. Boss continued, “They did say that was today.”  _ What was today? _

“What’s going on, Boss?” Kuroku leaned out of the kitchen, just as the elderly couple he served earlier in the hour stood and made their leave, thanking Boss for the meal.

“Nothing to worry about, kid.” Boss said over his shoulder. He then turned to the person that Kuroku did not recognize as any of their regulars. “So, you’re Amamiya Ren?”

The person, a teenage boy with frizzy black hair and wearing a school uniform  _ Is that Shujin’s? _ , nodded. “Yes sir, are you Sakura-san?”

Boss nodded. “That’s me.” The boy, Amamiya, held out a package. Boss raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“I went to your house to see if you were there, and some deliveryman had a package for you. He asked if I could give it to you here, so…”

Boss nodded slowly. “Oh… well, thanks.” He took the box and placed it on the bar beside him. “Anyways, my name is Sojiro Sakura. You’ll be in my custody over the next year.”

Amamiya’s eyes wandered around the café, and they eventually met Kuroku’s. The teen had piercing grey irises hidden behind circular glasses. As Amamiya took his attention back to Boss, Kuroku saw movement behind the boy, and flicked his eyes to get a clear look.

A blue butterfly.

All at once, a sharp, stabbing pain shot its way through Kuroku’s head. And just as it came, it faded, leaving Kuroku panting, gripping his head and trying to relieve the dull throbbing that filled his mind. He couldn’t hear anything, the ringing in his ears making sure of that. His vision was blurry, his legs shaking-

“Hey kid, take care of the shop while I get this guy settled.” Boss’ voice cut through the mud, and Kuroku’s senses shot back to clarity. His head stopped humming and his legs regained their strength. He gave a hum of confirmation, and he watched as Boss led Amamiya up the stairs to the attic, the butterfly following suit.

-O-

When Ren’s eyes met with the teen behind the bar, he felt a weak pulling sensation. He thought he heard a soft, feminine voice in the back of his head, but he could barely make it out. When he focused on it, the voice faded.

He brought his attention back to Sakura, the man who will be his guardian for the coming year. “Follow me.” The man turned and walked to a set of stairs in the back of the café.

As they walked up the steps, Ren was met with… a sight. “This is your room.” Sakura said.

“…It’s big.” Ren said, and that was the only good thing about this space. There was what might be a desk in the back corner, but it was covered in books and a tarp, so Ren couldn’t quite tell. A bookshelf to his right was filled with all sorts of stuff: books, supplies, junk, etc. And in the front right corner was a heap of random shit that one would see in a storage room. And it made sense, since this attic was probably used for that purpose. Oh, and the air was filled with a cloud of dust.  _ Wonderful. Just… wonderful. _

At least there was a futon… placed on old milk crates. “I’ll at least give you sheets for your bed.” Ren had to bite back his sarcasm, he did not want his first day in Tokyo to end with him on the streets.  _ Wait, Sakura wouldn’t throw me out… would he? _

“I’ll be leaving after I lock up each day.” Sakura began. “You’ll be alone at night, but don’t do anything stupid. I’ll throw you out if you cause any trouble.”  _ Guess that answers that question. _

“Now then…”  _ God, there’s  _ more _?!  _ “I got the gist of your situation: “You protected some woman from a man forcing himself on her, he got injured, then sued you.” Sakura shook his head. “I’ll say this: your heart was in the right place.” Ren perked up.  _ Finally, somebody got it! _

“However, you were still in the wrong. That’s what you get for sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”  _ Or… maybe he didn’t. _ “And now, with your criminal record, you were expelled, the courts ordered a transfer, which your parents signed off on, and now you’re her for the coming year.”

Ren winced at the mention of his parents. Sakura either didn’t notice, or he didn’t care, because he kept going. “Watch what you say, too. I am in the restaurant business, you know.”  _ What does that have to do with anything? _

“And if you behave yourself, your probation will be lifted, and you can go home.”

“Not much like a home anymore…” Ren muttered under his breath.

But Sakura noticed. “What was that?!”

“Nothing, sir.” Ren breathed. He was starting to get tired of this shit.

“Hmph.” Sakura didn’t believe his obvious lie. “Make any trouble, and I mean  _ any _ , and you’ll be sent straight to juvie.”

Ren nodded. He heard that from the judge, and the police,  _ and _ his parents. He really didn’t need to hear it again.

“We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow.” At Ren’s confused look, Sakura elaborated. “Shujin Academy, the school you’ll be attending. You’re wearing their uniform, you know.”

Ren looked down at his clothes.  _ He’s right. But… where the hell did I get this? And why did I decide to wear them when I’m not even going to school? _ “…Oh.”

Sakura sighed. He seems to be getting tired of this, too. “We’ll be introducing ourselves to the staff there. You’d better be on your best behavior, you’re lucky they even accepted you at all.”

Well, Ren was top of his class last year at Yasogami High, so the only thing holding him back would be the criminal record. Oh wait, that’s the point! That stupid bastard of a man screwed up Ren’s whole life. He grit his teeth, but hid his expression very well. Wearing a mask will be very important in the coming year if he has any hope to gain traction.

Sakura shook his head in resignation. “What a waste of my Sunday…. Your ‘luggage’ arrived a little while ago. I brought it up here for you.”

Ren bowed politely. “Thank you, sir.” Sakura huffed, and walked down the stairs.

Ren took one more gaze around his ‘room’ for the next year. “Time to clean…”

-O-

As soon as Amamiya and Boss were up the stairs, Kuroku whipped out his phone and scrolled through his contacts list. “Where are you, where are you, there!” He tapped the green ‘Call’ button.

One ring. Two. Three. And connection!

_ “Hello?” _

Kuroku smiled slightly at the woman’s voice on the other end. “Good afternoon, Mitsuru-san.”

He heard rustling on the other side of the line.  _ “Ah, Kuroku-kun. How have you been?” _

“I’ve been well, and you?”

A sigh.  _ “Busy, as always. Who would’ve thought running a company and a classified task force would require so much work?” _

Kuroku chuckled at the sarcasm. It wasn’t often that Mitsuru Kirijo cracked a joke. “Well, if anyone can pull it off, it would be you Mitsuru-san.”

_ “Oh, you’re going to make me blush…. But anyways, I’m guessing you didn’t call just to check up on me.” _

Kuroku’s face hardened. “As much as I wish I was, I’m afraid that I have something troubling to report.”

_ “Don’t be so formal, Kuroku-kun. You’re not a Shadow Op… yet.” _

“Sorry.” Kuroku rubbed the back of his neck. “Old habits die hard, I guess. Anywho, I’ve discovered something that might be worth looking into.”

_ “Well, what is it?” _

Kuroku’s back straightened. “Some kid, about my age, just came into Leblanc. When we made eye contact, I felt this pull.”

_ “Pull?” _

“Yeah. It was almost as if a voice was telling me I had to do something, but what it is I have to do wasn’t made clear.”

Kuroku paused, waiting to see if Mitsuru had anything to say. When she didn’t, he continued.

“Not only that, but flying around him was…” The word caught in his throat, his eyes starting to moisten.

_ “Was…?” _

Kuroku swallowed down the lump in his throat. “…Was a blue butterfly.”

Mitsuru gasped.  _ “Like…” _

“Yup. Like the Arcana Shadows.”

_ “But the Dark Hour is over. We defeated Nyx!” _

“You remember the new recruits I found for you on my vacation to Inaba?”

_ “…Yes. What of it?” _

“Well, the leader of their gang, Narukami-san, had the same pull. And a blue butterfly was around him, too.”

Kuroku could practically  _ hear _ Mitsuru thinking.  _ “What does this mean…” _

Kuroku fell silent, thinking. “Well… the Arcana Shadows were all pieces of Ryoji, who was once a part of Minato, who could wield multiple Personae. I also saw the butterfly near Kotone, who had a similar power. Narukami-san also has this ability.”

_ “So what you’re saying is…” _

“This Amamiya Ren character has that power, whether he knows it or not.”

_ “…Why do I feel like you have something else to say?” _

“Every time one of these multiple-Personae wielders pops up, they end up being tied to some Shadow Nest.” Kuroku said. He felt Mitsuru open her mouth to speak, so he quickly added on. “But we’ve only had two instances, so it isn’t that big of a pool of data to draw from.”

_ “Regardless, I’d like you to keep an eye on this Amamiya person. I ask you as a friend, not as your boss.” _

Kuroku grew a grin. “Well, you’re not my boss anyway. Not a Shadow Op.”

_ “Kuroku-kun…” _

“I know, Mitsuru-san. I was going to keep close watch anyway. I’ll notify you when I get any sort of update.”

_ “Thank you, Kuroku-kun.” _

Kuroku shook his head. “No problem. Also, if you don’t mind, could you try to dig into Amamiya Ren? It doesn’t matter how much you can find. Anything will be helpful at this point.”

Kuroku heard someone start coming down the stairs. Better wrap this up quick.

_ “I’ll do my best. And Kuroku-kun?” _

Kuroku watched the stairs out of the corner of his eye. Just Boss, without Amamiya.  _ Interesting… _ “Yes, Mitsuru-san?”

_ “Take care.” _

Kuroku smiled. “You too. Bye.”

_ “Goodbye.” _

Kuroku put his phone back in his pocket and quietly sighed. Boss made his way to the stove and checked the curry. “Who were you talking to, kid?”

Kuroku leaned against the bar, staring at the stairs. “Just an old friend of mine.”

“What’d you talk about?” Boss asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.” He quickly added.

The teen chuckled. “Nothing much. Just called to see how she was doing.”

Boss perked up, a wide grin plastered across his face. “‘She’?”

Kuroku rolled his eyes. “Oh shut it. She’s six years my senior. And she’s engaged.”

The café owner chuckled. “Well, my apologies. You know how I am. Back in my day… hoo-boy!”

“Please, can I  _ not _ listen to another of your stories?” Kuroku groaned. “They’re starting to get old. Like you.”

Boss seemed taken aback. “Why you…” He hesitated, then sighed. “Well, it’s getting late. You should probably head home. I’m gonna lock up soon.”

Kuroku pushed himself off the counter and stood up straight. “You sure you don’t need any more help?”

Boss shook his head with a smile. “Nah, I’m good. See you around, kid.”

Kuroku nodded, taking off his apron. “Alright then.” He hung it up and grabbed his bag from under the counter. “Well, see ya.” As he walked out of the café, he gave a wave over his shoulder.

-Take Your Time-

Ren lay in his bed. Sakura had come up earlier and was surprised that he was cleaning up the space. Well, Ren didn’t want to get sick, now did he?

Why was Ren not sleeping? Because every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was  _ that  _ street, heard  _ those _ voices, encountered  _ that man _ . Ren didn’t want to relive that memory.

_ Ring _

Ren pulled his phone out of his pocket. Who would be talking to him at this ungodly hour? As he used his fingerprint to unlock his phone, he was met with  _ it _ . That stupid, motherfucking app was back  _ again _ , somehow.  _ I thought I deleted this shit already… _

Ren dragged the app to the trash can  _ yet again _ , and as soon as he did, felt the grasp of sleep reach for him. He closed his eyes, this time without the flashbacks, and let his exhaustion drag him to Morpheus’ realm.

-Take Your Time-

Ren woke up to the rattling of chains and a hard surface under his back.

Wait, what?

Ren shot up to a sitting position, shaking the sleep out of his eyes. As he moved his arms, the rattling and clanking of metal grew. He looked down at himself.  _ What am I wearing? _ He looked around the attic-  _ Wait. This isn’t Leblanc’s attic. Where the fuck am I? _

He found himself in a prison cell, which didn’t make sense. He was on probation, not in juvie. He was laying on a wooden bed, if you could call it that. There was no mattress, not even a futon. He was wearing classic black-and-white striped prison garb you see in movies. His arms and legs were shackled in heavy chains, his hands to each other and his legs to a big heavy iron ball. There was a toilet, and another ‘bed’ on the opposite wall. But the oddest thing was the color.

Blue.

The floor, the ceiling, they were blue. The walls were made from some blue fabric, sewn in an old-fashioned pattern you see on antique furniture.

Ren heard giggling behind him, and when he turned to look, he found the cell door. And outside it were…  _ The fuck are little girls doing here? And what’s with the eyepatches? _ There were two little girls, each around his chest in height. They were wearing blue and gold prison guard uniforms, but with eyepatches on opposite eyes. They looked like twins, too. They both had platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes. The one on the left had her hair in a braid down the back, and the other in Princess Leia style buns.

Ren looked at their hats, and across the brim were the English letter ‘OYOO’ on one and ‘XMRN’ on the other. Ren was pretty good at English, so he quickly noticed the pattern there. Alternating letters, it spells ‘oxymoron’. But what does that mean? What do paradoxes have to do with this place? Also, the eyepatches. On each black patch was a golden V with a laurel design underneath.

The girls parted, and Ren could make out the rest of this place. His cell led into a circular room, surrounded by other cells like his on all sides. There seemed to be no way out of the center room. From the ceiling hung speakers, and below them was a wooden desk, resting on a rug with the same design as the girls’ eyepatches.  _ What does V mean? _

Sitting behind the desk was… Ren didn’t actually know  _ what _ that thing was. It looked human, but it had long, skinny limbs and a weirdly shaped head. It was round, his ears were pointy like an elf, his eyes looked like they were bulging out of his head, bloodshot and wide. He had no irises, just small dots for pupils. His eyebrows were long, thick, and black, contrasting his balding head of white hair. He had an open-tooth smile that spread from ear to ear. He was wearing a black suit with a white undershirt and white gloves. His shoes were black as well with pointed toes.

But despite all that, the most bizarre part of this thing was his long, pointy, Pinocchio-esque nose. And when he spoke, his deep, echoing voice bore into Ren’s very soul.

“Trickster, welcome to my Velvet Room.”


End file.
